I missed the first 20 minutes because I couldn’t get away from my daughter’s birthday party early as planned. Sounds like I missed the highlights.
Here’s my take on what I’ve watched, heard and read:
Despite Wilkinson saying that all the players were fantastic, my sources are telling me that the fault of the performance, or lack thereof, lay at the feet of the forwards.
Me, I don’t like the overbearing Newcastle influence in the backs. I know they don’t have a dominant pack up there, but if all these guys were the solution then Newcastle wouldn’t consistently be in the league positions they are. Plus I can’t help but feel that you get used to playing a certain way with your club and that it would be difficult to just turn off that influence at international level. Will Greenwood makes a similar point about in the Telegraph today about the Newcastle defensive line.
Despite the one chip and chase, I can’t help but feel that as a defender 99% of the time you can rule out any direct threat from Wilkinson. Completely unlike someone like Larkham, for example, who you’d always feel could ghost right through you if you weren’t careful. At one point in his career he looked like he’d worked on having on at least a little turn of pace. Alas, that looks like it’s gone.
Flood just doesn’t look like an international 12 and although manages to show genuine glimpses of talent, I can’t believe he’s the real deal.
I could actually tolerate Noon given that he’s like 2/3rds of Tindall, were it not for the two men inside him (although I’m sure that both Tindall and Noon are more 12s rather than 13s). I feel sure that Tait’s talent will never reveal itself. He has had far too many chances and one run in a world cup final does not a Guscott make.
I feel a bit sorry for the Volcano. The limited game plan is exposing his limited Union experience. If England made use of him in the same way they used to make use of Cohen – powering into the channels off Wilkinson and Flood – I think we’d have seen a few tries by now (although the lack of direct threat from Wilkinson these days might make that tactic less useful).
Sackey I will continue to tolerate because, despite being convinced, he continues to take the few chances he gets and when he’s probably rescued as many defensive overlaps as he’s let past him.
Ashton is not the man, Wells is neither the man. Edwards is in prime location to be the new man. I suspect as well that Andrew should bugg3r off back to Newcastle.
I want to see some genuine threat from 10 and 12.
I want to see Cipriani and Geraghty in some combination.
I no longer want to see Wilkinson and Flood nor anyone from Newcastle whatsoever.
Ditto Balshaw. Banish the lazy ******* from my sight.
I never want to see Vickery again.
The front five (plus subs and injuries) I am relatively not unhappy with.
Haskell I am relatively happy with.
A fit Easter, I am relatively happy with. Perhaps some of the slowdown in the second half was down to him slowing down with knee issues before eventually coming off.
But Lipman is plainly not as good as Rees.
I want to see the Volcano on the burst.
I want to see a young, sprightly scrumhalf who offers a threat from the base of the scrum.
And I want Twickenham ticket prices frozen.
So, any front five from
Payne/Stevens/Sheridan
Mears/Regan
Shaw/Borthwick/Kay
A backrow from
Haskell/Moody/Easter/Narraway/+ a genuine flyer at 7
Scrumhalf
Give Wigglesworth ago / find someone like Reddan
First/second 5/8ths
Geraghty/Cipriani
Outside
noon/tindall once fit/someone creative
Back three
Volcano/Lewsey/Sackey/some other options
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